Instructor Insights
"The course encourages students to connect with the ideas expressed by other writers and then to pursue their own ideas."
Below, Cynthia Taft describes various aspects of how she taught 21W.775 Writing about Nature and Environmental Issues.
Curriculum Information
Prerequisites
None
Requirements Satisfied
- CI-H
- HASS-H
Offered
Every few years
Assessment
The students’ grades were based on the following activities:
- 20% Essay 1
- 30% Essay 2
- 40% Essay 3
- 10% Participation
Student Information
Enrollment
Fewer than 10 students
Breakdown by Year
A range of undergraduate students
Breakdown by Major
Mostly science and engineering
Typical Student Background
Most students were actively interested in environmental issues before they signed up for the course, but only two had extensive background in environmental studies (MIT does not have such a major). Several students were serious hikers.
How Student Time Was Spent
During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:
In Class
- Met 2 times per week for 1.5 hours per session; 27 sessions total; mandatory attendance.
- Class time was split into two sessions: one that focused on the student’s most recent writing assignment and one that focused on their most recent readings.
- Several class sessions included impromptu workshops where students exchanged short papers or exercises and considered a single question about that exercise.
- For full drafts, workshops were more formalized and students shared papers and exchanged written detailed comments in response to the instructor’s guidelines.
Out of Class
- Completing assigned readings.
- Conducting background research.
- Completing short assignments.
- Writing and revising three essays.
- Preparing for class discussions and peer feedback workshops.
